February 26, 2026
Life looks grand and rich on the surface, but when the excitement is over, we discover that all the glitters is not gold.
Deep within, the Western world is restless and unhappy. It is equally true that the Eastern world tends to mistake laziness for contentment, sleep for samadhi. Young men must sometimes go abroad and see how other people live. East can learn a lot from West, and similarly, West from East.
I have seen European swamis in India. One swami, an American, is as great a lover of Lord Krishna as anyone in India, and wears a pouch around his neck with a small image of the Lord. A young German lady swami living in a cave near Rishikesh adores Lord Shiva, and why not?
Why is it that when Indian children sing Christian hymns we take it for granted, and when European children sing Indian hymns (Hare Krishna) we are surprised? One is as natural as the other.
There is today a big movement in Europe in this direction. Many groups of enthusiasts sing kirtans in Sanskrit, Hindi and Tamil. What surprised me most, however, was the enthusiastic interest shown in yoga by several monks and nuns (Jesuits), in Germany. This was the first time that I noticed them participating in talks on yoga in such a big way. And why not? They have not become Hindus thereby, but they have demonstrated ‘Unity in Reality", not merely in theory or in words.
Dialogue is not one person listening to another, but two exchanging views. The Lord himself is the most eager listener when two earnest seekers sing his names and glories, and endeavor to pierce the veil of ignorance through meditation. To that omnipresent Reality we bow.
If one learns to look at the truth and realizes that we are all human beings, the idea of nationalities seems childish and foolish.